Early in the morning, when the soldiers in the camp started their morning exercises, the crisp air filled with the rhythm of their movements, Chinua and Timicin stood on the big training ground and watched the recruits' jog.
Timicin looked at Chinua, a shiver running down his spine despite the cool morning air. "Chinua, tell your two servants to stop looking at me."
Chinua yawned, a slow, unhurried stretch escaping her, and asked, "Why?"
"The way they looked at me was like they wanted to rip me apart and pull my heart out," Timicin complained, his voice a low grumble. "Especially that Khunbish..."
Chinua smiled, a knowing glint in her eyes, and then she said, "Khunbish always stares like that. That's why I chose him as my guard..." She looked at Timicin and smiled at him, her gaze lingering a moment too long. "Very intimidating." She turned to Timicin and saw that Timicin's cheeks started to turn red, a blush rising quickly from his neck. "Hey, are you uncomfortable because your face is starting to turn red?" She raised an eyebrow at Timicin, a playful challenge in her expression.
Timicin turned quickly, his head snapping away to avoid Chinua's gaze. He coughed and cleared his throat, feigning composure. "I'm fine, just... tired."
Timicin suddenly felt his heart start beating like never before, a frantic drum against his ribs. He found that when Chinua smiled at him, he found her attractive in some way. He knew in his heart that he had always liked beautiful women, but he didn't know why someone like Chinua made him feel the same way he usually feels when he met beautiful women. It was a bewildering, unsettling sensation.
Chinua sighed. "Well, it's almost noon. When we are released from our punishment, you can go to sleep."
"Chinua," Timicin asked, a sudden urge for a deeper connection prompting his words, "have you ever liked anyone before?"
"I admire many people in my life," Chinua replied, her voice even.
"I'm not talking about admiration. I'm talking about, like women like men. Love... you understand?" Timicin pressed, his gaze earnest.
"I do," Chinua affirmed.
"Who?" Timicin asked suddenly, a surprising intensity in his voice. He suddenly wanted to know, an unexpected prick of jealousy.
Chinua was about to answer Timicin when Haitao shouted from behind them, his voice cutting through the morning air, "I hope you two will learn your lesson!"
Chinua and Timicin turned to see their small group staring at them, a mixture of resentment and curiosity on their faces.
Haitao pointed at Chinua and Timicin, his finger accusing, and said, "If any of you decide to fight again, this is your punishment." He looked at his subordinates, his gaze sweeping over them for emphasis. He turned to face Chinua and Timicin, his expression stern. "If the two of you fight again, the punishment will be harsher than standing here overnight with two bags of rice. So next time you want to fight each other, think twice."
"I will remember your words," Chinua said, her voice calm and level.
Haitao said, "Alright, the punishment is over. Bring those bags of rice back to the camp and make us dinner." He looked at Chinua and Timicin, a challenging glint in his eye. "When we come back from sightseeing, dinner had better be ready."
At dinner, Haitao sat in a small group around the bonfire, the flickering flames casting dancing shadows on his face. He looked at his ten men and said, "We went up the mountain today, what did you learn?"
Chaghatai looked at the other seven, his gaze shifting nervously, and said hesitantly, "Well... I learned that there are trees and wildflowers on the mountain road."
Haitao grabbed the rice with his right hand and started to eat, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Oh... you have good eyesight." He took a bite of the chicken on his left hand. "Who else?"
Muunokhoi raised his hand, his eagerness almost comical, and said, "I... I... I..."
Haitao smiled. "What else did you see?"
Muunokhoi said, "I also saw rocks beside the mountain road."
Haitao smiled, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Your vision is also very good; I admire it very much."
Och sat there, listening to the nonsense of the others, a simmering impatience in his posture. He looked at Haitao and couldn't stand this joke anymore. He shook his head, walked away with a bowl of rice in his hand, and said angrily, "Idiots..."
Haitao shouted, "Och, you didn't answer the question!"
Och turned and stared at Haitao, his eyes narrowed with dissatisfaction. "I saw an idiot leading his idiot dog and sheep up the mountain; other than that, I couldn't see anything else." He walked away, his back stiff with indignation.
Haitao smiled and then said loudly, "Your eyesight is also very good!" He continued to laugh and eat with the others, the mood around the bonfire surprisingly light.
Chinua asked, "Have you two finished eating?"
Khunbish and Khenbish replied in unison, "Yes."
Chinua said, "Let's go take a bath."
Timicin suddenly swallowed his piece of chicken without chewing, and he had to swallow hard, then started coughing, his face reddening from the effort. He watched Chinua, Khunbish, and Khenbish walking towards the river, a knot of concern tightening in his stomach.
Timicin rushed to Batzorig's tent, his steps urgent, and went inside. He stood in front of Batzorig, his breath still ragged from his sprint, and said, "General Batzorig, I have an urgent matter that I must report to you immediately!"
Batzorig looked up at Timicin, his expression unperturbed. "Can't it wait until tomorrow?"
"No, it can't," Timicin insisted, his voice strained with urgency.
"What's wrong?" Batzorig asked, his patience wearing thin.
"I don't know how to say, and I don't know how to start," Timicin stammered, his mind racing.
Batzorig said, "Then it's not important enough for my attention. Get out of here."
"It's difficult," Timicin persisted.
"Go back and reconsider, and tell me tomorrow," Batzorig dismissed, waving a hand.
"Chinua..." Timicin blurted out, the name escaping him like a confession.
Batzorig put down the book and looked at Timicin, a new interest sparked in his eyes. He asked, "What about Chinua?"
"Chinua is a woman in men's clothes," Timicin stated, the words feeling monumental.
Batzorig asked, his voice calm, almost amused, "What are you going to do with this information?"
Timicin said, "I told her I would tell you... but then she said that there is no law in Hmagol state that women cannot join the military."
Batzorig picked up his book, read it again, and said, his voice flat, "Is that what you wanted to say?"
"Yes," Timicin replied, his shoulders slumping slightly.
"You can leave now," Batzorig said, already returning to his reading.
Timicin was surprised by Batzorig's reaction, his jaw dropping slightly. He walked over to Batzorig's desk and asked, "Aren't you surprised, General Batzorig?"
"I already knew she was a woman," Batzorig stated, without looking up.
"You don't do anything about it?" Timicin questioned, his disbelief evident.
"I did, and she gave me the same answer she gave you," Batzorig replied, a faint smile touching his lips as he turned a page.
Chinua was soaking in the river with Khunbish and Khenbish, the cool water a soothing balm on her skin. Khunbish sat behind Chinua and began to wash her back, his movements gentle and practiced. "Did he really just take you out on a hike?" Chinua asked, a hint of a groan in her voice.
"Yes," Khunbish confirmed, still stroking Chinua's shoulder.
"It's not all Chinua," Khenbish added, a hint of a chuckle in his tone.
"What else? Umm..." Chinua bit down her lips, a wince of pain escaping her.
"I'm sorry," Khunbish murmured, his touch becoming even lighter.
"It didn't hurt that much yesterday. Get me some medicine when I get back to the tent. What else?" Chinua pressed, eager to distract herself from the lingering soreness.
"Tomorrow Captain Haitao will also take us to go fishing," Khenbish announced.
Khunbish added, "That's what he did when we were training here many years ago."
"What do his men think?" Chinua asked, her curiosity piqued.
"They caught the attention of Batzorig and, at their request, left the army or moved to a different captain," Khunbish explained, a hint of resignation in his voice.
"It's not too late for Chinua to change captains," Khenbish suggested, his tone encouraging.
"Don't you two find this fascinating?" Chinua said, a thoughtful expression on her face. She got up and started getting dressed, watching the two men bathe in the river. "I find it fascinating. Maybe there is a deeper meaning in his teachings that only a few can understand."
Khunbish and Khenbish came out of the river and started getting dressed. When they were halfway finishing dressing themselves, Timicin ran towards them, his arrival sudden and flustered.
Chinua sighed, a weary but affectionate sound. "Khunbish and Khenbish, don't stare at Timicin too much; he thinks your eyes are scary."
Khunbish and Khenbish replied in unison, their faces blankly obedient, "Yes, Chinua."
"Chinua!" Timicin called from a distance, his voice high with exasperation. He stopped in front of Chinua, almost breathless. "Chinua..." He took a deep breath. "Chinua..." He took another deep breath, struggling for air. "Chinua, even if these two are your servants, they are men, and you shouldn't let them bathe in the open air with you!"
Chinua smiled, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "What do you mean?" she asked, as if she didn't understand what Timicin meant.
"Man is like a tiger, looking for prey," Timicin declared, his voice tight with urgency.
Chinua started walking back to camp, her stride unhurried. She said, "You are also a man; how can you look down on your compatriots?"
"I'm not like them," Timicin protested, his voice laced with indignation. "I'm a decent guy who respects everyone's privacy."
Chinua stopped and patted Timicin on the right shoulder, a gesture of easy camaraderie. She smiled and said, "As a comrade-in-arms, thank you for your concern."
Timicin pushed Chinua's hand away, a look of mortification on his face. "Women and men should not touch each other in public!"
"Remember, standing in front of you is a genderless person," Chinua stated, her eyes twinkling.
Timicin said indifferently, his frustration evident, "How can you be a genderless person? You are obviously a woman."
"A comrade in arms," Chinua patiently explained, "are people who have no gender."
"How can I think like that when I know who you are?" Timicin cried, his voice rising in exasperation.
Khunbish looked at Timicin angrily, his gaze sharp and warning, and said, "Since you know who Chinua is, don't make trouble." He looked at Chinua. "Let's go back. I'm going to apply medicine on your back."
Khunbish and Chinua walked away, leaving Timicin to stew.
Khenbish turned to Timicin, a quiet wisdom in his gaze, and said, "Childe Timicin, gossip ends with the wise." He soon followed Khunbish and Chinua, leaving Timicin alone in bewildered silence.
Inside the tent, Khenbish poured the medicine on Khunbish's hands, and Khunbish began massaging Chinua's back and shoulders, his touch firm yet tender.
Khenbish said, his voice soft, "If Chinua doesn't want to train tomorrow, then Chinua doesn't have to train."
Chinua said, "I left assuring father that I would relinquish my royal status and be treated like any other soldier training in this camp. If father knew I was getting special treatment, he would laugh at me when I return home."
Khunbish said, "If Chinua told them to shut up, I'm sure no one would dare to say," a fierce loyalty in his tone.
Chinua scoffed, thinking that Khunbish's words were a little funny, a genuine smile gracing her lips. She said, "Back home, I don't have any special treatment, what do you think is different here?"
"Chinua knows exactly why," Khenbish stated, a knowing look exchanged between him and Khunbish.
"Only the two of you and the three royal brothers regard me as a princess," Chinua said, a touch of weariness in her voice. "The other royals call me the forgotten princess."
Khunbish said, a gentle prod in his words, "It's not just us; it looks like Chinua made a very special friend while being punished."
"Khunbish, you know, your jokes are hard to understand, not even funny," Chinua said, her tone affectionate despite the complaint. She pulled the robe back and tied the lace at the front. Then she lay on the straw mat, a deep sigh escaping her. "I love all who are not my enemies."
"Why did Chinua say that all of a sudden?" Khenbish asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.
"Timicin asked me if I had someone I liked. I was about to answer, but Captain Haitao interrupted us before I could answer him," Chinua explained. She put her hands behind her head, her gaze fixed on the tent's ceiling. "So, the two of you... should never stand on the opposite side of me."
Khunbish said, his voice resolute, "We sold our lives to you, and will remain so."
"Even if we had to be put to death, that loyalty wouldn't change," said Khenbish, who lay on his straw mate to Chinua's left, his voice equally firm.
Khunbish lay on Chinua's right and said, his voice a low murmur, "Through Death Valley, we will march..."
Khenbish continued, "Follow each other, every step of the way..."
Chinua smiled, a profound sense of connection filling her. "Even if we don't know if we will emerge on the other side."
Chinua, Khunbish, and Khenbish said at the same time, their voices harmonizing in a powerful declaration, "But we will continue to march forward faithfully for our brothers, living and dead!" Chinua, Khunbish, and Khenbish laughed out loud in their tent, a joyous, unburdened sound.
A few feet away, Timicin heard the laughter of the three people in their tent, a wave of curiosity and perhaps a touch of longing washing over him. He tossed and turned, restless and pondering, not knowing what the three were talking about.